Restoring the soul of the world : our living bond with nature's intelligence PDF
Preview Restoring the soul of the world : our living bond with nature's intelligence
Spirituality/Science and nature $18.95 “If humanity is to survive, David Fideler’s Restoring the Soul of the World provides us with the map for restoring our own souls and those of the planet with brilliance, clarity, and a love for human life and the life of nature.” Sim Van der ryn, coauthor of Ecological Design and Emeritus Professor of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley For millennia the world was seen as a creative, interconnected web of life, con stantly growing, developing, and restoring itself. But with the arrival of the Scientific Revolution in the 16th and 17th centuries, the world was viewed as a lifeless, clock like mechanism, bound by the laws of classical physics. Intelligence was a trait ascribed solely to human beings, and thus humanity was viewed as superior to and separate from nature. Today new scientific discoveries are reviving the ancient philosophy of a living, interconnected cosmos, and humanity is learning from and collaborating with nature’s intelligence in new, lifeenhancing ways, from ecological design to biomimicry. Drawing upon the most important scientific discoveries of recent times, David Fideler explores the selforganizing intelligence at the heart of nature and humanity’s place in the cosmic pattern. He examines the ancient vision of the living cosmos from its roots in the “World Soul” of the Greeks and the alchemical tradition, to its eclipse during the Scientific Revolution, to its return today. He explains how the mechanistic worldview led to humanity’s profound sense of alienation, for if the universe only func tioned as a machine, there was no longer any room for genuine creativity or spontaneity. He shows how this isn’t the case and how, even at the molecular level, natural systems engage in selforganization, selfpreservation, and creative problem solving, mirroring the ancient idea of a creative intelligence that exists deep within the heart of nature. Revealing new connections between science, religion, and culture, Fideler explores how to reengage our creative partnership with nature and new ways to collaborate with nature’s intelligence. DAVID FIDELER studied ancient religions and philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Ph.D. in philosophy and the history of science. He is the editor of The Pythagorean Sourcebook and Library, the journal Alexandria: Cosmology, Philosophy, Myth, and Culture, and the Cosmopolis Project website. INNER TRADITIONS ROCHESTER, VERMONT Cover design by Peri Swan www.InnerTraditions.com Cover images courtesy of NASA This book supports the www.HaciendaRioCote.com Reforestation Project SFI-00000 Text stock is SFI certified This page intentionally left blank. RestoRing the soul of the WoRld “david Fideler is a scholar and thinker of the first rank, and this marvelous book presents his profound historical, scientific, and philosophical expertise in a brilliant synthesis that is accessible to everyone. it is a beautifully written and wide-ranging guide to the history of the soul of the world. drawing together threads from every field of human endeavor, from theology to poetry and astro- physics to biology, it is the most exciting, uplifting, and optimistic exhortation to engage with and restore the magical world around us that i have read in a long time.” tom Cheetham, Ph.d., author of All the World an Icon “Restoring the Soul of the World goes beyond the goal of ‘sustain- ability’ to a new vision of our role here on earth as renewing and regenerating a world that we feel emotionally committed to and want to care for and understand from a long-term view. this book is optimistic in the best way—based not just on hope or determi- nation but on science, on an exciting array of successful solutions, and a daring kind of spiritual freedom rooted in the cosmos. this outlook could transform the world.” nancy ellen Abrams and Joel R. Primack, authors of The New Universe and the Human Future “Restoring the Soul of the World is the most far-reaching book available on more profound ways of understanding how we are connected to the cosmos. david Fideler reveals previously hid- den traditions and ways of understanding ourselves and nature, exploring our relationships to nature’s intelligence as no one has before. A classic: you need to read this book.” Arthur Versluis, professor of American studies at Michigan state university and author of Perennial Philosophy and Sacred Earth ReSoWo.indd 1 10/17/14 1:13 PM “in Restoring the Soul of the World, david Fideler highlights the paradigmatic foundations of seemingly intransigent religious, sci- entific, and economic beliefs. But he then takes the crucial—and all too rare—step of interpreting and integrating these histories to illuminate a path forward. He pragmatically demonstrates how models of regenerative strategies can be found all around, and that restoring the soul of the world begins with becoming attuned to the cycles and patterns of a living universe.” david McConville, chairman of the board of the Buckminster Fuller institute “in this timely and absorbing book, david Fideler traces our long relationship with the world soul, chronicling how our experience of the spiritual power of nature was lost in a mechanized world. Yet Fideler brings real hope. drawing on recent scientific discover- ies and solutions, he envisions a way for humanity to collaborate in a ‘living but damaged paradise.’ this book will help many people take heart.” tracy Cochran, editor for Parabola magazine “Restoring the Soul of the World is a wonderful book. i challenge anyone to read it intently and not feel the presence of the anima mundi or hear the hum of the music of the spheres. david Fideler is an inspiring guide on an enlivening excursion through the intelligence of nature. He brings together heart and mind in an alchemical fusion uniquely his own.” gary lachman, author of The Caretakers of the Cosmos “Restoring the Soul of the World is a timely rallying call to reimag- ine our relationship with our world, our culture, and our cosmos. through a masterful overview of the history of forgotten knowl- edge, Fideler reveals the unsuspected connections between ancient thought and the cutting edge of contemporary natural science.” leon Marvell, deakin university faculty member and author of Transfigured Light ReSoWo.indd 2 10/17/14 1:13 PM RestoRing the soul of the WoRld ouR liVing Bond WitH nAtuRe’s intelligenCe dAVid FideleR inner traditions Rochester, Vermont • toronto, Canada ReSoWo.indd 3 10/17/14 1:13 PM inner traditions one Park street Rochester, Vermont 05767 www.innertraditions.com Copyright © 2014 by david Fideler All rights reserved. no part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fideler, david R., 1961– author. Restoring the soul of the world : our living bond with nature’s intelligence / david Fideler. pages cm includes bibliographical references and index. isBn 978-1-62055-359-6 (pbk.) — isBn 978-1-62055-360-2 (e-book) 1. Human ecology—Philosophy. 2. Philosophy of nature. i. title. gF21.F53 2014 304.201—dc23 2014018193 text design by debbie glogover and layout by Priscilla Baker this book was typeset in garamond Premier Pro with Helvetica neue, gill sans, and legacy sans used as display typefaces to send correspondence to the author of this book, mail a first-class letter to the author c/o inner traditions • Bear & Company, one Park street, Rochester, Vt 05767, and we will forward the communication, or contact the author directly at www.cosmopolisproject.org. ReSoWo.indd 4 10/17/14 1:13 PM For Almira and Benjamin, my two nearest bonds with the living universe. ReSoWo.indd 5 10/17/14 1:13 PM This page intentionally left blank. Contents introduction 1 In Search of the Living Universe Part I AwAkening to the BeAuty of nAture Humanity and the Cosmological Impulse 1 starlight and Cosmovision 8 Awakening to the Universe 2 Beauty, desire, and the soul of the World 31 3 life in the Cosmopolis 52 4 the light of nature and the Alchemical imagination 69 5 the lushness of earth and the spirit of the desert 87 6 the last Flowering 98 The Rediscovery of Soul in Renaissance Florence ReSoWo.indd 7 10/17/14 1:13 PM Part II the DeAth of nAture AnD the rise of AlienAtion 7 the Mechanization of the World 118 8 in the name of utility 139 The Exploitation of Nature and the Decline of Pleasure Part III AnimA munDi Rediscovering the Living Universe 9 Psyche Regained 152 10 the Mirror of nature 178 Modern Cosmology and the Reanimation of the Universe 11 the Pattern Which Connects 202 Life and Mind in Nature ReSoWo.indd 8 10/17/14 1:13 PM
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